> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Suffolk creates 648 new school places, including 87 SEND places in Ipswich - URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/suffolk-creates-648-new-school-places-including-87-send-places-in-ipswich/ - Published: 2026-09-08T08:17:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-08T08:17:00.000Z - Description: Suffolk County Council says 648 new school and SEND places are available for children and young people this academic year, including 243 specialist SEND places funded by an £8.6 million investment, with 87 of those SEND places in Ipswich. - Author: Oliver Rouane-Williams - Tags: News, Special Education Needs (SEND), Primary Education, Secondary Education, Suffolk County Council, Woodbridge Road Academy, The Willows Primary School, The Bridge School, Tony Gould **Why it matters:** The council says the places will help meet rising demand for school places and specialist provision across the county, as it seeks to support children closer to home. **The details:** The council says the new capacity includes 405 mainstream school places and 243 additional SEND places. - The relocation and expansion of Lakenheath Primary School has added 105 primary places. - Expansion works at Stowmarket High School have added 300 secondary places. - New accommodation at Mildenhall College Academy becomes available this month, supporting a pupil admission number of 270 students per year group. **By the numbers:** The 243 additional SEND places are spread across three types of provision, according to the council: - 148 places in special schools, including 45 at The Bridge School and 40 through Warren School's Lodge provision. - 59 places in specialist units attached to mainstream schools, including 18 new places at Samuel Ward Academy and 18 at Coupals Primary Academy, due to open in January 2027. - 36 places in small group provision, including 24 at Roman Hill and 12 at The Willows. - Of the SEND providers listed, three are in Ipswich, with 45 places at The Bridge School, 30 at Woodbridge Road Academy, and 12 at The Willows, totalling 87 places. **What's next:** The council says work will begin this month on further expansion projects at Ormiston Endeavour Academy and Thurston Primary School, which it expects to deliver an additional 510 places when completed in 2027. **What they're saying:** Councillor Tony Gould, Suffolk County Council's Cabinet Member for Education and SEND, said: "Ensuring there are enough good school places for Suffolk children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, is one of our most important responsibilities." He added: "We know demand for SEND provision continues to rise and we are determined to provide the right support at the right time." **For context:** The council, over multiple administrations, has faced sustained and intense scrutiny over SEND provision in Suffolk. It says the new places reflect its "newly published strategic priorities," which include a commitment to give children and young people access to support "at the right time and in the most appropriate educational setting." This is the latest in a series of SEND funding announcements in Suffolk. In March 2026, the county received £9.4m in high needs capital funding for new specialist places. In April 2026, it was allocated a further £5.1m to establish an "Experts at Hand" support service. In July 2026, the council's cabinet approved spending £18.9m of government funding to create hundreds of further specialist places by 2030. **The bottom line:** Suffolk County Council says it has added 648 new school and SEND places this academic year, with further expansions planned for 2027, as it works to address demand for specialist and mainstream provision across the county. --- **Don't forget:** If you enjoy our content, please [add Ipswich.co.uk as a "preferred source" on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=ipswich.co.uk&ref=ipswich.co.uk) so you can easily find more of the content you value. [Add as a preferred source on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=ipswich.co.uk&ref=ipswich.co.uk) --- ### This article cost us \~£21 to produce It's free for you to read thanks to the generous support of our partners. Please support us by supporting them.